How Are We Related?
by Fantastical Chaos
Summary: When people say that you two look alike but you don't see it. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Vocaloid. Each character used belongs to the respective company that produced him/her; I merely borrowed them for non-profit entertainment purposes. However, I do claim ownership to the cover art and words below. Please enjoy.**

* * *

"So, how were Erin and Allen?" Mrs. Kagamine asked as she wrung her white fingers.

"Oh, your daughter is simply delightful!" Ms. Miriam, the twins' kindergarten teacher, exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "Erin - you know she insists on being called Rin, right? - listens so well and doesn't fight with the other children. She cleans up after herself and quietly focuses on whatever it is she's doing without distracting the others. I can't praise her enough!"

Mrs. Kagamine's face paled. "Erin? My Erin?"

Taking no notice of Mrs. Kagamine's dropped expression, Ms. Miriam continued, "Yes, your darling little girl. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about your boy. Allen is rude, bullies the other children, and has no regard for rules! He plays rough and insists on having his own way. Why, he even screamed at me for not calling him Len. Off topic, I know, but why do your children insist on these silly nicknames? I can already tell that they aren't called such at home."

"They'll outgrow it, I'm sure." Mrs. Kagamine switched her purse from her right shoulder to her left. "I apologize for the trouble . . . Allen has caused."

"No worries, I'm sure he will get better as the year progresses." Ms. Miriam smiled. "I already cannot wait to see them tomorrow."

Nodding without sincerity, Mrs. Kagamine called her children to her and lead them to the car. As she buckled the twins into their car seats, she studied the round-faced five-year-olds. As the twins were of opposite gender, she and her husband agreed that it would be best for Erin and Allen to be raised without gender stereotypes. To further this choice, both twins spent their first day of school dressed in jeans and plain, purple T-shirts - a gender neutral outfit. The only thing differentiating the twins, however, was a large, white bow tied into Erin's chin length blonde hair in order for the teacher to tell the twins apart.

Mrs. Kagamine, now in the driver's seat, looked through the rearview mirror back and forth between her extremely identical children whose only difference in appearance was the bow. Eyes settling on the child with the white ribbon, Mrs. Kagamine asked, "Allen, why are you wearing your sister's bow?"

"She made me wear it," Allen answered, his words softly spoken.

"Erin, why did you make your brother wear your bow? And how did you manage to switch it without Ms. Miriam knowing?"

With a mischievous smile stretching across her elvish face, Erin said, "While Ms. Miriam was helping a boy go potty, I told Len that if he didn't wear my bow then I'd lick his fork tonight before dinner."

"Yes, but why? Erin, I spent all morning getting you to sit still long enough for me to tie it in your hair."

"I didn't wanna wear it." Erin shrugged. "The bow is stupid, but I know you didn't want me losing it so I made Len wear it for me."

Mrs. Kagamine sighed. "Is it true you bullied all the other kids?"

"No! I'm a good girl!"

"She's lying," Allen told his mother. "Rin made a boy cry when he wouldn't let her play ball with him. She hitted him super hard."

"Imma hit you hard if you don't shut up," Erin threatened. Her twin silenced himself right away.

Sighing again, Mrs. Kagamine snuck glances at her children every chance she could safely do so. Fraternal twins, but they were identical enough to switch places like they did and not get caught. Yet despite appearing so similar, the twins were nearly nothing alike. "What am I going to do with you two?" she asked in a whisper, the words weighing heavy in her breath as she scrambled to find the answer.

* * *

"I wanna play ball!" seven-year-old Rin exclaimed.

"But we played ball yesterday," her best friend Gumi replied. Her eyes scanned the playground, searching for another activity to spend recess doing. "How about monkey bars?"

Rin's face twisted into a scowl. "No way."

"But I don't want to play ball again."

"Then you can play on the monkey bars while I play ball with the boys," Rin said as she began strutting away. Strong willed for a girl so young, Rin did not let anyone else's approval decide her decisions. If none of her friends wanted to play with her, Rin was more than okay to play by herself as long as she did whatever she wanted.

After two rounds of kickball, Rin noticed her green-haired friend playing with a certain blond. Huffing, Rin threw her shoulders back and marched towards the monkey bars. "What is going on?" the girl demanded.

"I saw Gumi playing by herself, so I thought I'd play with her," Len told his twin sister.

Rin crossed her arms and glared at her brother. "You can't play with her."

"Why not?"

"Because she's my friend."

"But Len's my friend, too," Gumi said, but the statement caused Rin to glare at the greenette.

"You can't be friends with my brother," Rin said. Turning to Len she added, "And you can't be friends with my friends."

Brows furrowed, Len asked, "Why?"

"Because I said so, that's why." Rin answered.

"That's not a reason, Rin."

"It is when Mommy and Daddy say it."

"Erin, Allen, are you two fighting again?" questioned their teacher, Ms. Prima. It was known schoolwide that the twins were constantly not getting along, and if the two weren't kept in place, it wouldn't take much for a fight between them to break out.

"It's Rin!" the little girl snapped the same time her twin said, "I like to be called Len, please."

Ms. Prima narrowed her eyes. "One, you do not shout at your teacher, Erin. Two, as your parents both refer to you by your real names, I don't find it necessary to indulge either of you through calling you by those ridiculous nicknames. And three, if you two can't get along, I will drag you both inside and make you miss the rest of recess. Do I make myself clear?"

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Rin mumbled a "yeah, yeah" while her brother chose "yes, ma'am." As Ms. Prima walked away, looking over her shoulder twice to check on the twins, Rin looked at her brother, said, "Don't talk to my friends," and walked away.

Gumi followed behind Rin, but not before waving goodbye to the male twin.

* * *

"Hey, Rin!" Len shouted as he pounded on the twelve-year-old girl's bedroom door. He smirked with satisfaction when he heard her cry out in surprise. "Rin, can I come in?"

"No. Go away!" his sister yelled from the other side.

Opening the door, Len said, "Thanks," and waltzed in as if he always joined Rin when she prepared for school.

Rin sat by her desk, mirror positioned so that she could use it to apply makeup, and scowled at the sight of her twin brother. "Go away," she repeated.

"What are you doing?" Len asked, ignoring her demand.

"Getting ready."

"You're not doing a good job at it. Need help?"

"As if I'd want help from the likes of you," Rin answered before turning her attention back to the mirror and unscrewing the lid to her eyeliner.

"I'm going to sit on your bed. You won't even know I'm here."

"If only your presence wasn't that annoying," Rin grumbled as she leaned forward and began to apply the makeup.

Len looked around the room. Lavender walls, cream carpet, and no decorations save a white dresser and desk. For someone so loud, Rin kept her room quiet and simple. He cast his eyes to his concentrating sister. "Why are you wearing makeup?"

"Because Meiko wears makeup."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Meiko's my best friend, duh." Rin rolled her eyes as she waved at the eyeliner already applied in an attempt to make it dry faster. "She bought the makeup for me, so I have to wear it."

Blowing a raspberry, Len said, "You shouldn't be friends with Meiko. She's four years older than you."

"You're just jealous because I'm more mature than you."

It took all Len had to refuse the urge to snort. "Meiko's a bad influence. You should've stayed best friends with Gumi. She's cool."

"No way," Rin replied as she began to decorate the other eye. "She's your friend now, and I refuse to have the same friends as you."

"Why?" Len asked, not caring to hear the answer but knowing that the question would annoy Rin.

With a low growl, Rin answered, "I already share the same birthday, family, and house as you. I'm not sharing friends with you, too."

Len didn't respond. Instead he looked around the room in pursuit of something to entertain him. Finding nothing, Len stood and approached his sister, who was now putting concealer on her face. With his hand sticking out, Len hovered his fingers beside Rin's head.

"Stop," she ordered.

"But I'm not touching you," Len all but sang. He stuck his hand closer.

"Len, cut it out."

"I'm still not touching you."

"Seriously, knock it off."

This time Len placed his palm in front of Rin's eyes. "Not touching you."

"You're about to lose a finger!" Rin snapped, and Len pulled his arm away.

Holding his hands up in surrender, Len said, "All right. All right. Geez. Violent much?"

"Go away," Rin demanded.

"But I'm bored."

"I'm going to call Mom."

"No, you're not."

Brows raised, Rin looked past Len and shouted, "Mom!"

Len threw his hands up. "Okay! I'm leaving now. Happy?"

Smiled plastered on her face at the sight of her retreating brother, Rin replied, "Immensely."

* * *

The upper portion of his body leaning over the stairway, fourteen-year-old Len shouted, "Mom, have you seen my Colts hoodie?"

"It was in the load of clean laundry I gave you the other day," his mother replied from the kitchen.

"You didn't give me any clothes."

"Yes, I did. I put them on your bed while you were in the shower."

Len knit his brows together. There were no fresh clothes in his room when he finished washing up, but the bedroom door was left open. His mother never left the door to any room in the house open.

Teeth clenched, Len marched towards his sister's bedroom - the door decorated with action movie posters and a hand drawn sign that read _Rin's Room. Stay Out._ \- slammed his palm on the wood repeatedly, and shouted, "Open up the stupid door!"

"Go away!" his sister called back.

Huffing, Len went to his own room, retrieved a paper clip, stalked back, and began fiddling with the lock. At the satisfying sound of the unlocking click, Len threw open the door and stomped into Rin's room. If looks could kill, Len would consider himself immune to the threatening glares his sister always cast him whenever he did something to displeased her.

"Get. Out," Rin snarled.

"I can't believe you," Len said. "Those are my clothes you're wearing!"

Rin looked down at the boy jeans and Pokémon T-shirt she dressed in. "Looks way better on me than it does on you."

"According to everyone we know, we look freakishly identical, Rin. Nobody is going to tell the difference if you're wearing my clothes."

"They'll learn fast, Len." Practically pretending that her brother was no longer in the room, Rin picked up a red baseball cap and a hoodie.

"That's the Colts hoodie I was looking for!" Len exclaimed.

"Too bad. Finders keepers." With that said, Rin tied the arms of the clothing around her waist and placed the cap on her head.

Exhaling slowly, Len gathered his patience. "Why on earth have you been stealing my clothes?"

"Girl clothes are so stupid," Rin whined. "They're tight, short, and itchy. Boy clothes are loose, big, and comfortable. From now on, I'm wearing your clothes."

"I can't believe this." Len threw his hands up. "My sister is a crossdresser! What's Meiko gonna think?"

Rin snorted. "Why should I care?"

"Isn't she your best friend?"

"Wow, you're stupid." Scooping her backpack off the floor, Rin said, "I haven't talked to Meiko in like a year, I think. Too much boy chatter and drama. Guys are better company."

"So that explains the rumors." Len pinched the skin between his eyes. "How long is this phase going to last?"

Humming to herself for a moment, Rin replied, "Don't know. Don't care."

As his sister stalked out of her room, Len followed close behind and asked, "Who are you?"

Without so much as looking behind, Rin answered, "I don't know."

* * *

"You really need to stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Hitting on my friends."

Rin glared at Len as the two stood at their school bus stop, waiting to be picked up. Though her preference for boy clothes had significantly dropped in the last year, she still wore loose-fitting jeans and an oversized T-shirt.

"I'm not hitting on your friends, idiot."

"Are too."

"Are not."

Sighing, Len said, "You were batting your eyes at Kaito yesterday, and you were laying thick compliments on Gakupo's fencing skills the day before. News flash, Rin, that's considered flirting."

Eyes narrowed into slits, Rin crossed her arms and huffed. "So what if I'm flirting? Your friends are super good-looking. Can you really blame me for that?"

"I don't want you dating my friends."

"Why not?" Rin threw her hands in the air. "Is this about my refusing to share my friends with you? Because there is a difference between sharing friends and dating friends."

"I just don't want you dating them," Len argued.

"Why not?" Rin demanded a second time.

"Because . . . Because . . ." Biting his lip, Len said, "As your brother, I'm forbidding you from dating my friends. Or any boy, for that matter."

Growling, Rin said, "You can't tell me what to do."

"I just did."

Rin screamed in frustration. "I will do whatever I want, and you can't stop me!"

"Oh contraire, my sister." Len chuckled. "In case you have forgotten, I run with a popular crowd. All it will take is one word from me and any information about you I want will circulate the entire school."

Mouth agape, Rin said each word as if it was its own sentence. "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

Smirk growing on his face, Len replied, "Try. Me."

"I hate you."

"Tell me something I don't know."

* * *

"Ugh," Rin groaned as she, sitting in the passenger seat, threw her head back.

"I don't think our new school is going to be that bad," Len said as he drove out of the neighborhood they moved into recently.

"It's not that," Rin complained. "These cramps are absolutely terrible. I think I'm going to start my period."

"Oh God," Len said. "Please don't talk about that."

"Talk about what, Len? Periods?"

"Rin, shut up. I don't want to hear my sister talk about stuff like that."

"But it's a natural part of the human body," Rin began, pleased to irritate her twin as a distraction from the pain. "You're not a girl, so of course you wouldn't understand. There's so much pain in your gut, like having super bad gas and you can't fart to relieve yourself."

"Shut up."

"Or the explosive diarrhea, or the urge to eat a block of cheese. Worse yet, when you sneeze and feel a lot of blood gush out of your-"

"I swear to God I will crash this car if you don't stop talking!"

Crossing her arms, Rin looked at Len and said, "Of course you wouldn't know of these things, Len. You're a small child."

"I'm only younger than you by three minutes."

"Three minutes is a really long time."

"No, it's not."

"Stop talking to me. I'm bored with you now," Rin said, turning her attention to the hem of her crop top.

"Are those my sneakers?" Len asked.

Rin snorted before she answered, "Hey, at least I'm wearing my own jeans today."

"I really hope nobody sees me with you," Len said as he turned onto the last road before they would come to their new school.

"If I had it my way, nobody would know you exist," Rin said as she studied her nails. "You're my greatest shame."

* * *

Len awoke to a small body cuddling against him. The intruder snuggled into the crook of his neck and wrapped an arm around his chest. "Another nightmare?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rin answered, the word muffled.

"The same one?"

"Unfortunately."

Silence lingered as neither of them said a thing. Len simply ran his fingers through Rin's hair. For reasons that couldn't be figured out, Rin was plagued with occasional nightmares, and her twin's was the only presence that could calm her down and help her go back to sleep.

"I hate this," Rin then mumbled.

"Talk about something happy," Len suggested.

Thinking, Rin giggled and said, "There's this cute boy at our new school."

"What did I say about my forbidding you from dating boys?"

"You think I ever listen? Anyway, it doesn't matter. Nearly every time I saw him, he was hanging out with a girl with turquoise pigtails. I don't know if she's his girlfriend or not, but I guess I wouldn't be surprised if she is."

"I hope not," Len mused, continuing to stroke his sister's locks. "I know which girl you're talking about, and she's really pretty. If it turns out that blond dodo-"

"Always one with the ugly names, huh? I'm ashamed of you, Len."

Despite himself, Len smiled. "It wasn't until today I realized that I didn't stop to think that since we've moved here, we have to spend the next year trying to convince everyone to call us Rin and Len and not Erin and Allen."

"You're telling me." Rin repositioned herself so that she lied on her back and her head lay on Len's shoulder. "Do have any idea how many times I've been asked 'What kind of a name is Rin?' It's insane."

"It's what I called you when we were learning to talk, or so Mom says, and for some reason you never wanted to be addressed as anything other than my nickname for you."

"Yeah, but it's the same exact story with you being called Len." Rin exhaled slowly. "Despite our failure at getting along, for some reason we are too dependent on each other."

"As much as I hate to say it, you're right."

Again moments passed where they didn't speak. When Len was certain his sister fell asleep, he heard her say, "I love you, Len." When he didn't reply, Rin slapped his shoulder and said, "Say it back." No response. "Tell me that you love me, Len. What if I die in a freak accident tomorrow? I'm your twin. I'm your only sibling in this entire world, and you would have to spend the rest of your life regretting that you never told me you loved me back."

"Fine." Len sighed in frustration. "I love you too, Rin. Happy?"

"Yep." Rin snuggled deeper under the covers. "You love me."

Trying and failing to fight the growing smile on his face, Len said, "You're literally the worst person I've ever met."


End file.
